This is a linkpost for https://kevindorst.substack.com/p/bayesian-injustice

(Co-written with Bernhard Salow)

TLDR: Differential legibility is a pervasive, persistent, and individually-rational source of unfair treatment. Either it's a purely-structural injustice, or it's a type of "zetetic injustice"—one requiring changes to our practices of inquiry.

Finally, graduate admissions are done. Exciting. Exhausting. And suspicious.

Yet again, applicants from prestigious, well-known universities—the “Presties”, as you call them—were admitted at a much higher rate than others.

But you’re convinced that—at least controlling for standardized-test scores and writing samples—prestige is a sham: it's largely money and legacies that determine who gets into prestigious schools; and such schools train their students no better.

Suppose you’re right.

Does that settle it? Is the best explanation for the Prestie admissions-advantage that your department has a pure prejudice toward fancy institutions?

No. There's a pervasive, problematic, but individually rational type of bias that is likely at play. Economists call it [...]

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Outline:

(01:24) A simplified case

(02:53) The admissions case

(08:21) Why does this matter?

(12:21) What next?

The original text contained 2 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

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First published:
December 14th, 2023

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/HXoNiBPut3TJ73rc5/bayesian-injustice

Linkpost URL:
https://kevindorst.substack.com/p/bayesian-injustice

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

[Linkpost] “Bayesian Injustice” by Kevin Dorst

LessWrong (30+ Karma)

[Linkpost] “Bayesian Injustice” by Kevin Dorst